Containers which are easily opened are known in the art. One known container is a cylindrical and has a generally planar top. The top includes a segment which is fixed to the remainder of the top by a thin portion of the top material and a tab is attached to the segment. The can is opened when the segment is removed by exerting a force on the tab. A second known type of container includes a top having a hole therein, where the hole is covered by a piece of tape which sticks to the perimeter of the hole on the top of the container. The container is opened by removing the tape from the top of the container to expose the hole.
These prior art containers suffer from several disadvantages. Production of the first mentioned type of container, wherein part of the top is connected to the remainder of the top by a weak connection, requires a difficult and complex process, and is consequently expensive. The second mentioned type of opening requires the adhesive tape to be specially treated since it comes into contact with the contents of the can. Furthermore, the use of tape alone to cover a hole is not adequate for sealing a container of a carbonated liquid, since the tape is inadequate for a pressurized container. In both of these types of containers it is extremely difficult to store the contents of the container after opening, because the part which is removed to open the container becomes detached and is discarded.